Emergency response readiness for primary school children

Objective The aim of the present study was to determine whether a 1-day basic life support (BLS) training program can significantly increase emergency response readiness for primary school children. Methods One hundred and seven children aged 11-12 years completed a program led by surf lifesaving instructors. A 50-item quiz was administered 1 week before and 1 and 8 weeks after training. Results Significant improvements were gained in knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR; P<0.001), the response sequence for emergency situations (DRSABCD action plan) and various emergency scenarios, including choking (P<0.001) and severe bleeding (P<0.001). Knowledge and understanding were retained at the 8-week follow-up. Students reported increased confidence in assisting others after training, consistent with previous studies. Conclusions A 1-day training program can significantly increase BLS knowledge and confidence to provide assistance in an emergency situation. Findings reinforce the value of school-based training that provides a general foundation for emergency response readiness. What is known about this topic? The importance and value of teaching BLS to school children is well established in the US, UK and Europe. However, in the past 20 years there has been little or no published Australian evaluation research in this area, despite thousands of training programs running each year around the country for children in first aid, CPR and water safety. What does this paper add? This paper confirms that Australian primary school children can benefit significantly from short, targeted BLS training programs that provide the basic skills and confidence for them to respond in an emergency situation. What are the implications for practitioners? The paper provides a training and evaluation framework that can be used by health educators for age-appropriate BLS programs. The study shows that making training real-world and relevant, especially having hands-on CPR practice with manikins, can address common barriers to performing first aid and CPR reported by young people.